Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

As the preseason favorites in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, what better way for the Earlham College baseball team to kick off its conference schedule than against the reigning champions?

The Quakers are on a four-game winning streak as they look towards their conference-opening series at Rose-Hulman Friday and Saturday.

“If you’re not excited to go out there and go to their place and play them, I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” Earlham head coach Steve Sakosits said. “We left their place, they beat us last time. Our goal is to come into this thing and set the tone for the conference, and what better place to go do it, than a place where we ended our season last year.”

Earlham visits the Engineers for a doubleheader Friday at 6 p.m., then a single game Saturday at 12 p.m.

The Quakers are 5-4 after winning their fourth straight game in a wild 10-9 walk-off victory over Wittenberg Wednesday night at Randal R. Sadler Stadium.

The Engineers are 2-10 following a three-game sweep at the hands of Otterbein University.

Earlham College's Danny Dopp dives back to first bast against Wittenberg University Wednesday, March 22, 2017 during a baseball game at Sadler Stadium in Richmond. Joshua Smith, Palladium-Item Joshua Smith

Earlham College's Brennan Laird tosses the ball to second to start a double play against Wittenberg University Wednesday, March 22, 2017 during a baseball game at Sadler Stadium in Richmond. Joshua Smith, Palladium-Item Joshua Smith

Earlham College's Addison Robertson throws to first for a double play after getting out Wittenberg University's Matt Baker Wednesday, March 22, 2017 during a baseball game at Sadler Stadium in Richmond. Joshua Smith, Palladium-Item Joshua Smith

They went 32-13 last season and 18-6 in the HCAC, eventually defeating Earlham 7-6 in the HCAC Tournament championship game, but graduated many players.

“It’s definitely a big series, we open up conference up at Rose-Hulman where our season ended last season in the conference championship,” Earlham senior Eric Elkus said. “It’s definitely a big series, but we’re confident that if we play our game, it doesn’t matter who’s in the other dugout, we’re going to get the ‘W’.”

The Quakers feature both the HCAC Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, as well as Elkus, who was named to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week at first base.

Elkus was HCAC Hitter of the Week in consecutive weeks and leads the HCAC with 25 RBIs.

Howie Smith was named the HCAC Pitcher of the Week and is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA, 16 strikeouts and five walks over 17 and 1/3 innings pitched.

Richmond graduate junior Kendal Baker has started every game in the outfield for the Quakers, and Sakosits said freshman Jordan Christian, also a Richmond graduate, will likely start a game this weekend after earning his first victory last weekend.

“It’s going to be huge starting our first series against the conference champions, especially at their place, it’s going to be kind of a hostile environment,” said Christian, who has struck out 11 batters over 12 and 1/3 innings pitched. “For me, I can’t look past anything past this weekend, I just got to go and pitch my game, can’t really think of the moment as anything bigger than that, I just got to let my defense work and do what I’ve done so far.”

Freshman Danny Dopp leads the Quakers with 16 hits and Elkus has 15, while freshman Isaiah Shake is tied with Elkus with five doubles apiece.

Senior Nate Lynch leads the Quakers with 14 stolen bases. Sophomore Walter Talcott, who started his first game of the season against Wilmington last Saturday, has a perfect ERA in 5.2 innings pitched to go along with nine strikeouts.

Earlham has scored 94 runs in its first nine games, but has allowed 74 – 57 earned – while committing 16 errors.

“We can learn from what we did,” Sakosits said, “the booted balls we have, the free bases we gave up, but at the end, we were where we wanted to be and we gave ourselves a chance to win and we did.”

Earlham is 8-10 against Rose-Hulman since joining the HCAC prior to the 2011 season. The Engineers took two of three games from the Quakers at Sadler Stadium as well as winning two games over Ealrham in the HCAC Tournament last season.

Earlham, Rose-Hulman and Manchester University have qualified for the last two HCAC tournaments.

Earlham received 98 total votes in the preseason poll, including eight of 10 first place votes, while Manchester was voted to finish second with Rose-Hulman third and Transylvania fourth.

The Quakers were 29-14 last year and 16-10 in HCAC play, and are 81-50 in the last four seasons. They are looking for a fourth straight winning season after their 2014 finish was their first winning season since 1971.

“We’re excited to go,” Sakosits said. “Our kids are excited, we just got to play a little better baseball if we want to come out with the outcome we want.”